A hand brake line seized, locking one of the rear drum brakes on. Resulted from rusted brake line assembly. Occurred twice.
Exhaust train very prone to rust -- had the manifold between catalytic converter and engine repaired twice.
Windshield wiper fluid pump failed when the car was eight years old, needing replacement.
Some parts were god-awful expensive, like the headlight assemblies, which would run US$200 re-manufactured, $100 salvaged.
Breaks seemed to require service every two years, but this could've been my driving habits. :)
No structural integrity when in collisions. Was totalled in September in a three-car rear-ending that didn't really damage any of the other cars!
Fixed-position steering wheel a bit cramped for my 6'3" frame.
Great economy.
Felt "stable" at high speeds (e.g. 80 MPH and on corners). Handled beautifully well in the winter on ice and snow; FWD+manual transmission. Very forgiving of aggressive driving on slick surfaces.
Lots of head room in the cabin.
Pretty spunky for a 65HP 1.2L (Mazda) engine when combined with the 5 speed manual transmission!
Some parts were very cheap, like a $30 front quarter panel replaced after a collision.
I am a little disturbed with this revue's mention of the FESTIVA's engine size... the car has a 1.3 litre engine, not the 1.2 mentioned by the reviewer. However, as a previous owner of two FESTIVAS, I can say that they are great bargains, drive really well, deliver very good gas mileage (got between 40 to 45...mostly freeway driving),and my cars were very reliable. They really are great in the snow, probably due to their front-heavy weight distribution and FWD. Of course, really small cars simply cannot hold up to car crashes...that's just basic physics. And, since no airbags were offered, you will be at risk for nasty injuries in the event of a crash. Remember, the next generation of FESTIVA was the rather ugly and not good handling ASPIRE... but at least that car has airbags. So I am thinking of buying a low-mileage 97 ASPIRE in the near future. I will miss the great handling and slightly higher gas mileage of the FESTIVA; but I find myself more safety oriented as I get older!
One other thing; FESTIVAS CANNOT ACHIEVE GAS MILEAGE IN THE 55mpg range! Those figures can only be reached by 3-cylinder engines such as those found in the GEO METRO.
So, in conclusion, I hope your reviewers will strive to maintain a high standard of truthfulness in their accounts. Thanks.
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